Korea Policy Institute

The Fight For Real Food In Korea

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 08:48:30 -0700

My first time eating Korean-style food in Seoul was a disappointing experience. I went to a well-known barbecue place in the Hongdae neighborhood that many of my adoptee friends recommended. There was nothing wrong with the meat (Canadian not American as the waitress stressed), but there were only a couple panchan (side dishes) that were not very exciting. Perhaps, I thought, I had been spoiled during my other two visits to Korea, visiting my family and touring the East coast and Jeju Island.

Why Is North Korea Willing to Deal on Nukes?

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 17:11:27 -0800

The announcement Wednesday of a diplomatic breakthrough between the United States and North Korea is a welcome surprise at a critical time. Not only are over six million North Koreans facing food shortages this winter, but also the window is quickly closing for the United States to have any leverage over North Korea's nuclear program, given the changing global balance of power.

South Korea Cracks Down on Dissent

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:06:14 -0800

On February 8, the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) raided the Seoul and Incheon offices of the South Korean NGO, Solidarity for Peace and Reunification in Korea (SPARK) for violating the National Security Law (NSL). The NIS also searched the homes of two of SPARK's leadership, confiscated their notebooks and cell phones, and shut down the server of its website, Jinbo.net.

South Korean Women's Statement on the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 13:19:56 -0800

We South Korean women believe nuclear weapons and power reactors are a matter of life or death. They threaten our lives, the lives of our families and all living creatures.
We Korean women remember the tragic atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 when some 700,000 people, including 70,000 Koreans, were exposed to atomic radiation. The horror of mushroom clouds, which melted people and buildings and contaminated soil, still lingers today because more than 20,000 nuclear weapons exist on our planet.
We Korean women feel an enormous sense of crisis as we witness the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011. We are shocked once again at the destructive power of radiation seen in the loss of human lives, environmental pollution and contamination of food. We are even more shocked at the foolishness of those who continued to build nuclear reactors even after the danger of nuclear power generation was demonstrated at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

Playing With Fire: Obama's Risky Oil Threat to China

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:53:20 -0800

When it comes to China policy, is the Obama administration leaping from the frying pan directly into the fire? In an attempt to turn the page on two disastrous wars in the Greater Middle East, it may have just launched a new Cold War in Asia -- once again, viewing oil as the key to global supremacy.

A Korean Spring?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:33:39 -0800

As 2011 came to a close, the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il took the world by surprise (including the CIA which, like the rest of us, only learned of his passing 48 hours later). Given the dearth of understanding about North Korea in the West, the media could only speculate about the future of the new regime in Pyongyang. The usual pundits also took the opportunity to renew their calls for regime change. After all, 2011 was the year when the masses rose up to overthrow repressive regimes; could the same fate be in store for North Korea?

The Legacy of General Kim Jong Il: An Interview with Professor Han S. Park

Sat, 7 Jan 2012 09:58:12 -0800

With the passing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, KPI Executive Director Christine Ahn sat down for a phone interview with Han S. Park. Professor Park is Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS) at the University of Georgia. Born in China (Manchuria) to immigrant Korean parents, Dr. Park received his education in China, Korea, and the United States, with advanced degrees in Political Science from Seoul National University (B.A.), the American University (M.A.) and the University of Minnesota (Ph.D.).

Finding the Truth in North Korea

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:45:21 -0800

In 2006, I traveled to North Korea. The "other half" of my ethnic heritage had been a long held fascination. The American media had presented images of laughable authoritarian figures, strange rituals, and helpless suffering. My parents had instilled a fear of "the other" that they were taught as children in South Korea. So I went to find the truth.

Korea at the Crossroads: Peace or Confrontation?

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:44:26 -0800

The incomplete and distorted reporting about North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is not fair to him, the people of North and South Korea who long for peace and reconciliation, or to the American people.

The Death of General Secretary Kim Jong Il

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:58:41 -0800

On Saturday, December 17, 2011, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, 69 years old, passed away while traveling on a train to a field visit. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea's official international news organ, Kim suffered a fatal heart attack. A period of national mourning has been declared, and the official funeral is set for December 28.